Engineers ready for powerful Hobart

TROY >> On paper, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute football team has no shot this afternoon.

The Engineers travel to west to take on No. 6 Hobart, the two-time defending Liberty League champions.

The Statesmen (3-0, 5-0) reached the Division III quarterfinals last season and have won 11 straight conference games dating back to 2011.“We know that we’re an underdog,” said RPI coach Ralph Isernia. “But some of the greatest triumphs come when no one expects anything from you.”

Hobart is the highest ranked opponent the Engineers will have played since taking on No. 2 St. John’s (Minn.) University in the 2003 Division III national semifinals.

“It’s a big challenge for us,” Isernia said. “The thing that we can’t get wrapped up in is where they are ranked.”

In fact, not many people expected much from RPI the last time it traveled to Central New York.

In 2011, Hobart was ranked No. 24 and jumped out to a 28-7 lead over RPI. That was before quarterback Mike Hermann led the Engineers on an incredible comeback to post a 29-28 victory.

“That was a game where we were faced with adversity, but kept fighting,” said senior defensive end Arthur Kuyan. “That’s kind of our motto this year, too. We’re not the biggest or the strongest, but we’re always fighting until the end.”

That is the only loss for the Statesmen in their past 18 Liberty League contests.

“It’s neat that our seniors remember that,” Isernia siad. “That’s been the rallying cry because I’m not sure anyone gave them a shot to win that time.”The Engineers (0-3, 3-3) have lost three straight games and haven’t won a conference game in more than a calendar year, when they topped Rochester, on Oct. 13, 2012. “We definitely feel like we’re a good football team,” said senior captain Ted Abriel. “We’ve shot ourselves in the foot a couple times in some of these games, but we know we’re good and that we can play with the top teams in the league.”

Despite the losses, Isernia told his team following the 37-31 loss to Rochester last weekend, that he is pleased with his team’s makeup.“I like the character of our football team,” he said. “I like how gritty we are.”

To play with Hobart, RPI will have to be much better defensively against the run. Senior running back Steven Webb is one of the top backs in the country, averaging the 7th most rushing yards per game (152.3).

“This is a special kid,” Isernia said. “Division III is lucky to have a guy like this. He’s an amazing talent. He has great vision, balance and speed.”

Last week, the Engineers allowed Rochester to rush for 300 yards as a team. The same time of play will be unacceptable this weekend.

“He’s a talented back,” Kuyan said. “But the pride of our defense is to stop the run.”

RPI will also have its hands full trying to score against Hobart. The Statesmen allow 12.6 points per game, good for 13th best in the nation among Division III teams. La Salle Institute grad Gabe Smith is starting at cornerback for Hobart. The freshman was a two-time first-team all-area selection by The Record, catching 39 passes for 729 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior for the Cadets in 2012.

“All 11 of them (defensive starters) would start at any other school in the country,” Isernia said. “That’s how good they are.”

Isernia challenged his offense, which averages 20.8 points per game, by showing them the gaudy numbers that the Statesmen defense has put up.

“You really have to execute to beat them because they do not beat themselves,” he said. “That’s been the focus all week.”

RPI will have to play its best game of the season to win this afternoon — maybe just to compete. Once the game begins, the Engineers have a shot to pull off a historic upset.